March 1967 Mary Hyre's Letters To John Keel
Note: These letters are from a time before typing was common for the average person, leading to typing errors. A Letter from Mary Hyre, March 5 and 11, 1967: Mary Hyre, the columnist for the Athens Messenger, kept up a regular correspondence with author John Keel during the events described in The Mothman Prophecies. The letters describes some UFO sightings, and the attack on Connie Carpenter mentioned in Chapter 8 of The Mothman Prophecies. The column that she mentions here is Where The Waters Mingle from 3/5/67. The following is the March 5th 1967 letter transcribed into a digital text format with typing errors fixed: Point Pleasant, W.Va. Sunday Night Dear John: Well we have been having a lot of ufo stories in this area the past few days, thought I would send you a clipping that I had today in the paper. I didn't use the names, because it seems that people who didn't believe in any of this make fun of those who do. The McDaniels saw it for about 45 minutes along with of neighbors on their street and that area is right back of my house in fact and all of that area. Just south of this, plenty of people have been seeing things. I have some pretty reliable people who say that they have been seeing things. It seems that a lot of these objects are seen in the old power plants, I wonder if this has any bearing on the objects. Connie had a man attack her as she was leaving her house for school and he tried to get her in the car and tore her blouse and scratched her, and they found a note on their porch saying "Remember girl I can still get you". Her mother has been worried and wonder if there could be any bearing on the monster deal. I heard a story that kids are putting up aluminum foil in colors and looks like lights in the sky, but I didn't think that it would show that plain in the sky. It sure is raining here tonight, but the weather is real bad and we have plenty of snow the past few weeks and so It's cold. It is almost time for spring here. I would like to go to Florida for a week or so, but seems as if cannot get away and if I wait much longer it will be just as pretty weather here. I had a chance to come to New York about two weeks ago, but couldn't get away at that time, these friends were going to New York on business and invited me to go along and I would have enjoyed it since I sat here so much. I will be working for The messenger, if I make that long 25 years may 9th and they are suppose to be having a big party for me, I have enjoyed my work and wouldn't trade my experience for nothing. I am not working tonight had a couple of stories I brought in and sent them for the other girl. I Hope you are feeling well and not working too hard. Mary Hyre The following is the March 11th 1967 letter transcribed into a digital text format with typing errors fixed: Dear John: I wrote you a letter last Sunday night 5th 1967, but never did get it mailed as I had your address in another pocketbook and could never think to get it, we have a flood here this week and that keeps me very busy, but we also have the ufo's every night I sure didn't have to have anyone's word for this because I saw it for myself as you will read in my enclosed column, this thing was as big as a silo and people by the dozen are seeing it and people are worried, I saw it right close to my office and it went right over two nights straight, now respectable people are seeing it as you will see some of the name that is in my story I had today and my phone at night keeps busy saying "If you look in such a direction you will see a ufo". Some people who do not see it say that it just a balloon with a candle in it as the civil defense director who saw it last nigh said, you don't see a balloon changing course as quickly as it did and going the opposite direction of the way the wind of blowing. I understand the men at kaiser aluminum seen it the other night, workers at the Phillip Sporn Power Plant which is an electrical power plant and also Kyger creek. The lights are different than anything that I have ever seen and the other say so too. The Pleasant Register called me yesterday and wanted me to give them a story and also tell them who was with me and just who saw it when I did, but I didn't give it to them as I was busy, they sit there on their lazy cans and wait for people to bring it in. I shall keep you posted. Mary A Letter from Mary Hyre, March 14, 1967: The next letter from Mary Hyre is a few days later, March 14, 1967. She catches John up on some of the recent UFO sightings: The “thing” here is probably meant to be a craft, not the celebrated Mothman. The clippings were not in the envelope; John must have filed them elsewhere. Ron Hite was covering the flap in the Herald Dispatch, in Huntington, West Virginia (John simply marked the clippings “Huntington paper”). The following is the letter transcribed into a digital text format with typing errors fixed: Dear John: While I am waiting on a fire story, thought perhaps had better get the clipping sent to you. They sure are most interesting, perhaps you have most of the data on these happenings other than the recent ones. We are still seeing this thing over Point Pleasant, my husband saw it again and his sister, he is now a believer. The stories really are similar to what I saw and the other people who saw say so too. I told my girl friend the other night we were going to have to take a camera and stay out most of the night, if I would had one that night I saw it I sure could of taken a photo, while it didn't frighten me at the time I have an odd feeling since that time. Mrs. Bennett's mother cleans for me tomorrow and I will see how she is and maybe I can get out to talk with her, someone told me she had lost so much weight and isn't very well. It seems that the Ron Hite has the theory that this ufo is chasing the chemical and power plants of which the largest power plants in the world are in this area. I think this man in Charleston that is the engineer has a pretty good conception of it. Many say to me if it has been going on for 75 years why haven't they invaded us before now, I told then perhaps they haven't perfected just what it takes to find out until now just what then can do. There is to be sight articles of Ron Hite and I shall send you the other as they appear in the paper. Hope they will be helpful to you. Mary Sources: http://www.johnkeel.com/?p=2016 http://www.johnkeel.com/?p=2027 Category:History